Mass Effect Wake
by T. Scoresby
Summary: In the aftermath of the 'control' ending Shepard struggles to come to terms with her new existance, Liara begins to crack and a new cast of characters enter the stage. Femshep/Liara romance. This is my first story and I posted it to improve my writing skills so all constructive criticism is welcome.
1. Prologue

Mass Effect Wake

**Prologue.**

Shepard was floating in an ocean of nothingness. It was not dark. Darkness would imply an absence of light, there was simply nothing. She tried to move her head, to look for any clue as to her surroundings. Not only did she see nothing but there was no sensation of movement, no tensing of neck muscles, no narrowing of eyes, she couldn't be sure if she had moved at all. Was this even real? Did she even have a body to move?

She floated there for an indeterminate period of time, alone with her thoughts and unanswered questions.

After a while she saw something and once she saw it she was sure she had been staring at it for an age without recognition. Dark tendrils, sharply contrasting against the nothingness behind, were weaving their way towards her. She tried to raise a hand to ward them off but of course nothing happened. One of the bigger tendrils broke off from the pack and barrelled down on her. As it got closer Shepard began to feel a great pressure squeezing her, crushing her. The pressure seemed to compress the non-air and cause phantom sounds, they sounded like no language that Shepard had ever heard but somehow she understood their meaning; 'I am Harbinger.'

The tendril slammed into her. Black liquid cascaded over her body, filling her eyes and ears and mouth, creating contrast between the nothingness, the darkness and her own pale flesh. With contrast her feeling of self was defined. She knew who she was.

_A cramped garage on the Vancouver docks. The room is full of cars, motorbikes and sky cars in various states of disassembly. It is dark save for the strobing white light of a blow torch; the air stinks of hot metal. The garage has two occupants, a swarthy man with a ponytail and a leather jacket who is lost in his extranet goggles and the welder: an auburn haired teenage girl whose face is hidden behind a featureless tinted visor._

_The door is yanked open to emit a stream of sunlight and a man, trailed by the incessant cackling of seagulls. The newcomer is tall and broad shouldered with buzz cut blonde hair and a very crooked nose, he has a magazine clamped under his arm. He flinches away as he enters. _

_"__Jesus Christ! Do you want to blind me, is that it?"_

_The girl with the visor looks up then twists a nozzle on the torch, the flame fades._

_"__That's better." _

_The ponytailed man rises form his chair at the noise, removing his goggles as he does. "You get it man?" _

_The newcomer brandishes the magazine "What d'you think J?" _

_Michael 'joy ride' Vargas or 'J' darts forward and snatches the magazine from Blondie's meaty fist and leafs though it eagerly. _

_"__Yo that's sick." _

_"__Pretty kinky right?"_

_J nods as he ogles "hey Shepard take a look at this. The girl lifts her visor to expose a pleasant, slightly boyish face with a band of freckles across her nose and a quizzical look in her green eyes. _

_"__What is it?" _

_J tosses the magazine over the skeletal 'speed gryphon' bike between them. She catches it in both hands. On the cover the word 'FORNAX' is written in block capitals, underneath a blue skinned Asari poses suggestively in a red bikini. Shepard snorts derisively and throws it right back._

_"__You pervs." _

_An insufferable smirk spreads under the blonde man's bent nose._

_"__Don't be like that Ellie we all know you're into it."_

_Elizabeth Shepard or 'Ellie' glares at the man, her green eyes suddenly flinty._

_"__Fuck off Gil." _

_She drops the torch and visor and shoves past him into the street with a muttered _

_"__The boss has a job for me."_

_He leans out of the door and shouts after her: "I'm just sayin' is all."_

Ellie. Ellie Shepard. Elizabeth Shepard. Shepard. My name is Shepard.

_She was sitting slumped against the dais at the heart of the citadel. The Illusive man lay dead at her feet, killed by his own hand. Admiral Anderson sat to her right, he wasn't moving so he was probably dead too. Warmth seeped over her fingers, hot blood coursed over the hand clamped to her side. Lifting her hand to eye level she tried to look past the haze of blood loss and fatigue. She was bleeding out. A dry chuckle escaped her parched lips._

_'__I'm not going to make it. Even if we win I'm going to die.' She couldn't keep Kaidan's final words from echoing around her head. _

_'__We know the score. We know this is goodbye.' Deep down she had always known it would end something like this, ever since Elysium. _

_But she wasn't dead. Was she_?

Armed with her new found memories Shepard found the strength to briefly repel the dark tendrils with a blast of solid thought-form. _I am Elizabeth Shepard and I am alive._

Suddenly she was falling, plummeting through nothingness to impact a shimmering field of tall grass. Opening her eyes Shepard took in her surroundings, she was lying in a sun dappled park next to a large manmade lake. She knew this place: Xujiahui Park in Shanghai. She and Zoe had whiled away many afternoons here in their youths. Sitting up she saw that the park only had one other occupant; a young boy, maybe six or seven, walking purposefully towards her. _The catalyst_.

The boy crossed his arms and fixed her with a blank eyed stare that was as cold as the reaches of dark space.

"So you made your choice." It wasn't a question.

"Is this real?" Even as she asked it she knew it was a stupid question. She hadn't been to Xujiahui in over twenty years. The catalyst's outline seemed to flicker as it spoke, as if it was a holo-vid screen on low power.

"That depends on your perspective. Your corporeal form was been dissolved and this conversation is not taking place on any physical plane, so no, by your definition this is not real." Shepard had expected that but the reality of it still shook her badly.

She remembered. She remembered limping to the crucible's control panel and placing her hands on the terminals, then pain, the worst pain she had ever felt. Worse than the brutal hazing rituals of the 10th Street Reds, worse than the Eden Prime beacon, worse than dying by explosive decompression. Looking down she could only watch in horror as she slowly and excruciatingly turned to ash.

Shepard sobbed; dry heaved then looked up at the silent figure of the catalyst with venom.

"Why have you brought me here?"

"The location was lifted from your memories. It was meant to be comforting, to help ease your passing." The boy's image continued to crackle and break down.

"My passing?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"Yes. That is the price of your choice; the Reapers live on, directed by your memories and sense of morality at the cost of your life. I am only here to pass the torch. It will be over soon." With that the child-thing dissipated entirely, leaving her all alone in the verdant park.

Jumping to her feet she tried to reach the spot where it had vanished bit her legs gave out form under her.

"Wait don't go! I don't know what to do! I don't know what to do."

The sky was blackening and the entire park began to vibrate until the whole vista shimmered back into nothingness. The dark tendrils swept back in and this time they consumed Elizabeth mind, body and soul.

Her last thought was of Liara's smile.

After another indeterminate period of time something stirred in the space where Elizabeth Shepard had been.

_Eternal. Infinite. Immortal. The woman I was used these words, but only now do I truly understand them. And only now do I understand the full extent of her sacrifice. Through her death, I was created. Through my birth, her thoughts were freed. They guide me now; give me reason, direction. Just as she gave direction to the ones who followed her, the ones who helped her achieve her purpose; now my purpose. _

_To give the many hope for a future; to ensure that all have a voice in their future. To right the wrongs of the past; to provide a voice to those too weak to speak for themselves. _

_The woman I was knew that she could only achieve this by becoming something greater. _

_There is power in control. There is wisdom in harnessing the strengths of your enemy. I will rebuild what the many have lost; I will create a future with limitless possibilities; I will protect, and sustain; I will act as guardian for the many. _

_And throughout it all, I will never forget; I will remember the ones who sacrificed themselves so that the many could survive. And I will watch over the ones who live on, those who carry the memory of the woman I once was, the woman who gave up her life to become the one who could save the many._


	2. Shadow Brokers files

_N/B: This chapter I was trying something out. Back to normal prose for the next chapter._

WELCOME SHADOW BROKER

PLEASE PROVIDE IDENTITY CONFERMATION

LOGIN: ltsoni

PASSWORD: ********

WELCOME DR. T'SONI

YOU HAVE 2 UNREAD MESSAGE(S)

MESSAGE 1

FROM: [**REDACTED, CHANNEL SECURITY UNCERTAIN**]

TO: Shadow Broker

SUBJECT: Council update

ATTACHMENTS: #Reaper war council debriefing

Shadow broker,

I'm inclosing an audio transcript of a secret summit between all the major galactic races that took place roughly two months after the end of the war onboard the Destiny Ascension in the serpent nebula. The goal of the summit seems to have been to decide the shape of the post-war galaxy and address the continued Reaper presence.

I will be unable to supply you with information for the next few weeks; I think the Hanar ambassador is getting suspicious.

[**PROCESSING ADDITIONAL ENCRYPTION**]

p.s. Why won't you answer my private messages Liara? Are you okay?

I heard about Shepard. I know there is nothing I can say to make it better but I am so sorry. Take care of yourself and reply when you can. I worry about you.

F.

Representatives in attendance:

-Alliance** Admiral **and acting human councillor** Steven Hackett **

-Acting** Asari** and **Salarian councillors**

-Turian **Primarch Adrien Victus**

-Quarian **Admirals Daro'Xen** and **Han'Gerrel**

-Krogan **clan chief Urdnot Wrex**

-**Elcor, Volus** and **Hanar ambassadors** with **Drell diplomat **(My cover: Akil Fyr)

-**Geth representative **later dubbed **Pi **

-**Batarian envoy** **Ballack **

TRANSCRIPT BEGINS:

**Salarian counsellor**: What should we call you?

**Geth representative**: In an unusual quirk of probability the combined id codes of the programs in this platform equals pi to fourteen hundred places. We acknowledge this as an appropriate metaphor.

**Salarian councillor**: Then be welcome pi. I hope our future relations can be beneficial for both our races.

**Urdnot Wrex**: [Indistinguishable muttering]

**Asari counsellor**: Do you have something you would like to add clan chief?

**Urdnot Wrex**: Hm? No it'd just start us all arguing again and I thought the message of this whole damn war was that we could work together. So I'll keep it to myself.

**Primarch Victus**: If I might interject I'd like to get on with the matter at hand, namely the fact that the crucible didn't work!

**Admiral Xen**: An incorrect assumption Primarch. While the crucible did not have the effect that many of us desired, that of destroying the Reapers, it most certainly _did _work, we are simply yet to determine the devices full effects.

**Batarian envoy**: So what do we know for sure?

**Volus ambassador**: we know, Khar'shan clan, that immediately after the crucible was fired the Reapers broke off there harvest and there have been no reported Reaper attacks since.

**Elcor ambassador**: With tentative hope: perhaps this was always the true purpose of the device. Perhaps the danger has past.

**Admiral Gerrel**: I wouldn't be so sure about that. This could be part of some new strategy.

**Pi**: Unlikely. Such a strategy would not be effective or efficient; the Reapers have proven to us that they are both.

**Admiral Gerrel**: So we should just sit about as the creatures responsible for the murder of countless billions coast about the galaxy at there leisure? Without the mass relay network our fleets are slowly starving to death with no way to resupply or refuel.

**Asari councillor**: This is why we sent Raan's recognisance vessels to Bekenstein admiral. With luck we will endure, but you are right we must learn the Reapers motivations and the nature of their apparent change of heart.

**Hanar ambassador**: The reapers have been enlightened by the divine engine of the enkindlers!

**Urdnot Wrex:** [Indistinguishable muttering]

**Admiral Hackett: **That's not how I would have put it but I think the Hanar & Elcor ambassadors are right. We never knew exactly what the crucible would do, maybe it was never meant to destroy them.

**Salarian councillor: **That is a dangerous assumption to make admiral. Just how do you suggest we verify your theory? Fly up to a Reaper capital ship and say "we come in peace"?

**Admiral Hackett: **Like you said counsellor, it's just a theory.

**Volus ambassador: **We could send a drone ship to try and treat with a reaper. That way the worst that can happen is we lose a small unimportant vessel.

**Admiral Xen: **I second that motion.

**Asari councillor: **Very well we will run that idea past our engineers.

**Primarch Victus: **The next matter up for discussion is the destination of our fleets, though I'm not sure if splitting up is a good idea what with the reapers intentions still unknown. Personally I suggest

VIEW MORE? (22 LINES REMAINING)

YOUR CURRENT DESKTOP ITEMS ARE AVALABLE FOR REVIEW DR. T'SONI:

#Reaper war council debriefing

#Shepard biography notes

#travels with the Prothean notes

#2183 Eletania mission report

#Normandy group photo. jpg

#Shepard sings 'I'm a believer'

MESSAGE 2 (THIS MESSAGE WAS INTERCEPTED FROM CDR SHEPARD'S PRIVATE TERMINAL)

FROM: Sur'Kesh Delran Eloras Shouny Vass Solik

TO: Normandy crew

SUBJECT: Consolations & a request

Hello my name is Solik Vass and I'm not really sure who to speak to, so I thought I would address this to the Normandy's crew as a whole. I realise this may be the worst possible time but I would like to direct a documentary about Commander Shepard.

She was a remarkable woman and I feel that she deserves recognition. From what I hear the Normandy was her life and so its crew would probably know her best since she didn't have any family.

If any of you have stories that you would like to share I would love it if you would help me honour her memory.

With fondest regards,

Solik.


	3. Vendetta

**August 24****th****2186. Xhenji ward, Omega. Three months after the Reaper war.**

The _Desert's tears _was idling in a dry dock cradle in the Omega shipyards. From the outside there were no signs of life, its engines where dead, its portholes black and its doors sealed. The inside of the ship wasn't much better. The interior was bathed in crimson emergency lighting and the re-circulated air tasted faintly metallic, packing crates littered the corridors and the walls had been stripped back to bare steel plating. From the engine room came the bright strobing light of a welding torch, further evidence of the repairs under way.

In the cockpit the _Desert's tears_ Asari captain Karla D'mel sat in the co-pilot's seat, legs up, arms behind her head crest, eyes closed. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically with her sleeping breath.

A loud harsh buzz jerked her from the rather pleasant dream she had been having. She looked around irritably for the source of the interruption. The external com buzzed again. It was Shrub; Karla could see him hopping from foot to foot in front of the access ramp camera. She stabbed the call button with her middle finger and growled; "What?"

"It's Shrub. Open up." The Salarian wheedled excitedly.

"I know it's you Shrub. What. Do. You. Want?"

"Stop it Karla just let me in and I'll tell you." Shrub's beetle black eyes where frowning now.

"Can't. Kel is flushing the air filters. Come back in half an hour." She leaned back and closed her eyes again.

"I got us a job but I can't tell you about it while I'm out in the open. So let me in." That got Karla's attention. She swiftly manipulated the controls in front of her, opening the access ramp while simultaneously opening a channel to the engine room.

"Sorry Kel you'll have to flush the filters some other time Shrub needs in, something about a job."

There was a flurry of clatters and bangs from the other end, then a muttered "keelah."

Two minutes later Shrub had found his way to the cockpit, having clambered over the clutter in the hallways, and settled down in the chair opposite Karla.

"Okay Shrub, what is this job and why is it so super secret?"

Shrub rubbed his hands together, clearly gearing up for a longwinded and embellished tale. Karla interjected before he could get started. "The short version please."

Shrub scowled but checked himself. "Fine. So I'm sitting in afterlife enjoying a mind fish when an Elcor sidles up to me and says: 'conspiratorially: Might I speak to you in private please.' So right away I know this is going to be good. We move to a side room and they lay out the details: the shadow broker wants to pay us to travel to earth and piece together what happened to the citadel. Pretty awesome right?"

Moving with blinding speed Karla sprang from her chair and punched the shocked Salarian in the side of the head with enough strength to knock him to the floor, she then straddled him and pinned his shoulders to the ground with her forearm.

"Shrub you fuckwit, don't you remember what happened last time you got involved with the broker? I'll refresh your memory, this." She pressed down hard on his chest forcing the air from his lungs.

"Karla what the hell…" He wheezed. "…are you doing?"

"I'm giving you an incentive not to be a gullible moron."

Just as suddenly as it came the fit of violence passed. Karla stood up and pulled Shrub to his feet; he shuffled away from her and gave her a wary sidelong look.

"So how much is this 'shadow broker' offering?" she asked airily.

Shrub made sure to place the navigation console between him and the deranged Asari before answering. "Um, twenty thousand." He flinched, waiting for Karla's explosive reaction.

"Twenty? Goddess Velik you are supposed to be the brains around here. Twenty thousand credits won't even cover the repairs to the ship, and do you really think the mighty shadow broker's best source on this job is a trio of small fry couriers like us? Even if we are surely he can afford to pay us more than twenty grand, my fish tank VI cost more than that."

"So what are you going to do?" Velik asked, gingerly rubbing his bruised face.

"Well I'm pretty sure that that this Elcor doesn't work for the shadow broker and even if they do something isn't right. I'm going to find out what."

Shrub's eyes widened and he stumbled over himself in his haste to reply. "Karla wait! What if they do work for him? You don't want to piss off the broker by harassing one of their agents."

Karla grabbed her jacket off the back of the seat, pulled it on and popped her collar with a flick of her thumbs.

Her ubiquitous grin widened a couple of millimetres. "If you're not careful I might start to think you actually care."

"Not everything is about you! If the broker sends someone after you what do you think they'll see when they look at me? An unwilling accomplice press ganged into helping you? Or just your Salarian sidekick?"

Karla walked away down the passageway towards the ramp and called over her shoulder:

"This conversation is starting to get boring, if you didn't want to be in danger you shouldn't has accepted the job."

Shrub called after her desperately. "I didn't accept it I just said I would pass it along to my boss."

Karla's reply was muffled; she was already out of sight. "Good boy, now go put some ice on that face."

**Afterlife nightclub. Omega market district. 23:16 Station Standard Time.**

The strobing lights of Afterlife's dance floor pulsed in time to the pounding music. '_Aria didn't waste any time getting this pit up and running again_.' Karla thought to herself. She could feel a headache coming on, it made her nasty.

She had grown up in the D'mel garage in the quiet outskirts of Etheai city on Sanves and she spent most of her time nowadays on her ship; loud noises didn't suit her. Donning a pair of glare shades from her inside pocket she pushed into the crowd. Shouldered her way past a pair of drunken Turians she leaned on the bar and eyed up the Batarian bartender.

"Hey good lookin', have a second to spare?"

The bartender blinked all four of his eyes in bewilderment.

"Are you talking to me?" His tone was more surprised than aggressive. Karla widened her smile a little.

"Who else? I'm looking for someone and I was wondering if you could give me a hand."

"I suppose. It depends." He crinkled his forehead in suspicion.

I'm looking for an Elcor; he was talking to a Salarian a short while ago. They were sitting somewhere over there." She waved a hand in the direction of the private booths. Karla could see the spark of recondition in his eyes.

"Sure, I know him, name's Harrot. He runs a store down in the markets. Is he in trouble? You don't look like you're here for a gentle chat."

Karla's grin took on a sinister glint.

"That depends on him." The bartender just shrugged.

"That's none of my business; all I ask is if you are going to start something take it outside. He's over there." He gestured to one of the furthest booths where a hulking figure was lurking.

"Thanks babe." The bartender grimaced in sympathy for Harrot, he knew trouble when he saw it and this Asari was trouble. '_Poor bastard_.'

Karla stalked over to the indicated booth and sat down heavily opposite Harrot. The Elcor gave a surprised trumpet and exhaled a puff of smoke from his cigar.

"Hiding surprise: Do I know you Asari?" Reaching over the table she plucked the cigar from Harrot's gill-like mouth, prompting another whinny of indignation, she took a few puffs before answering.

"I think you know me, but I don't know you and I don't like that. Who really sent you?"

"Guarded response: I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about, if you will excuse me."

Karla decided to cut to the chase. She slammed a fist down on the tabletop and drew back the hem of her jacket, revealing the chunky executioner pistol nestled in its shoulder holster in her armpit.

"I don't think so asshole. I'm going to get the answers I want, one way or the other; all you are in control of is how much it hurts. Tell me who sent you to talk to one of my guys or I'll break your legs."

The quadruped Elcor shook in fear like a dog emerging from the sea.

"With stubborn bravery: I have heard that one before. If you want the job lets deal, if not I must go." The threat had done its job; the pretence of ignorance was slipping. Karla's headache was getting worse, egging her on. She hooked two fingers into Harrot's mouth flaps and pulled. Standing up she set off across the crowded dance floor towards the exit, dragging the squealing Elcor in tow.

Once they where outside Karla turned off into a side ally, away form the neon garishness of the promenade. A few pedestrians cast curious or concerned looks their way but no one moved to interfere.

Drawing her pistol she pressed the muzzle into the hollow behind the Elcor's front right knee.

"Last chance, do you really work for the shadow broker?"

Harrot was so scared that he didn't qualify his speech.

"Yes! Yes I do. It's the truth I swear."

"Good boy. Don't you feel better getting that off your chest? Second question: how do you contact him?"

"I input a code into a public extranet terminal not far from here; I can show you the way." Karla knew there was only one bank of terminals on this level. He was playing for time, probably waiting for his muscle to show up.

"No need just give me the code."

"With weary resignation: very well the code is DS29-F2L6-IOK1-J25G. Please just let me go." Having recorded the code on her Omni tool Karla holstered her gun and stamped the cigar butt under her boot heel.

"Thanks Harrot, you've been a doll."

None of the extranet terminals where in use, not this late into the night cycle. Everyone was either at home or out clubbing. Stepping up to the closest Karla punched in the code. The spinning holographic image changed form the familiar heraldry of Aria T'loak to a symbol she had never seen before. A voice emanated from the speaker, heavily distorted by an id disguiser.

"Agent Harrot you are early. Have you completed your assignment?" A chill passed down her spine. The shadow broker. Clamping her hands to the terminal sides until they creaked she snarled through gritted teeth.

No it isn't Harrot you fucking piece of shit! Just thought you'd send one of your lackeys to offer me a job after what happened on Maitrum? You know what? Fuck you! If you ever think of contacting me again I'll find you. I don't care if it takes five hundred years. I. Will. Find. You. And in case you're thinking of sending your goons after me tell them that Karla D'mel is waiting for them aboard the _Deserts Tears_ and she will kill them all. Go Fuck yourself!"

With that she put her fist through the panel, causing a shower of sparks and a nasty electric charge that luckily was dissipated by her hardsuit's systems.

She doubled over sucking in deep calming breaths, that outburst had been building up for two hundred and forty years.

"Hey! Over there!" raising her head Karla saw two figures running full pelt towards her. Harrot's muscle had finally arrived. The first was a bulky Turian in a segmented green hardsuit wielding a claymore shotgun. The second was a rapier thin Asari with white facial markings and a bandolier full of throwing knifes. The Asari was probably the most dangerous so Karla decided to get rid of the Turian first so as to give her her full attention. Throwing out her arm, palm first, Karla generated a stasis field in front of the charging Asari. She ran straight into it, covering her body in white particles and locking her in place. As this was happening the Turian leveled his massive weapon and pulled the trigger. The shotgun boomed just as Karla turned to face him. The blast caught her full in the chest; there was a purple flare as her biotic barrier struggled to absorb the kinetic energy. It held, just. Karla grinned evilly.

"Out of time bitch." The Turian scrambled to reload but he was too slow. Balling her hands into fists Karla marshaled her biotics and flung herself forwards. Without her feet touching the ground she crossed the space between them and punched the hit man with all the force she could muster. His chest plate didn't give but caved in so severely that Karla's fist was inside the unfortunate man's chest cavity. Dropping her arm she dumped his lifeless body onto the deck with a crunch. Her energy reserves almost spent she turned her attention to the frozen Asari. '_It won't last much longer.'_ No sooner had she thought the words than the stasis effect wore off.

The woman fell to one knee and snatched two knives from her bandolier then biotically impelled them at Karla with bone crushing force. The first blade glanced off her barrier and shorted it out. '_Oh shit'_ was all she had time to think before the second knife slammed into the meat of her thigh. With a strangled cry Karla sprawled to the ground, spread eagled. The assassin chuckled.

"You're over confident." Without warning she fired off another knife that 'thunked' into the metal deck plates just where Karla's head had been, she had barely rolled aside in time. '_She's good.'_

Grabbing her executioner she squeezed off a round at her opponent. She didn't even try to sidestep; her barrier easily ate the bullet. Three more knives whizzed her way in rapid succession. Playing for time Karla used a biotic tug to wrench the dead Turian's body into the path of the projectiles. The noise they made on impact was sickening. Throwing the corpse at her assailant gave her time to reload. '_Come on you cocky bitch get in nice and close_.' The Asari assassin was only too happy to comply; she drew her final two knives and moved in for the kill.

Clenching her fists again to trigger her physical mnemonics Karla planted her feet then jumped into the air. For a second she hung there unsupported, fist aglow with blue energy, she had just enough time to process the assassin's surprised expression before she came thudding down again detonating her recharged barrier and triggering a deadly nova blast. The other Asari's defenses held briefly then failed bearing her aloft like a leaf in a storm. She flew over fifteen meters then impacted a parked skycar and fell in a broken heap, still.

Karla took one wobbly step then collapsed against the shattered extranet terminal.

The throwing knife was still sticking out of her thigh and dark purple blood coursed steadily down her leg. A laugh bubbled in her gut then exploded out of her mouth. She felt alive.


	4. Remembrance

**Normandy SR2. Serpent nebula. 00:04 Shipboard Time. **

Liara T'soni lent back in her chair and blew out a shaky breath. Two dead agents, an exposed communication channel and she still didn't have someone for that expedition to the citadel. '_What a disaster.'_ She had deployed those agents to guard Harrot because he was her only source on Omega since the Cerberus occupation, but thanks to this crazy woman Karla D'mel even that might change depending on how sore Harrot was at being roughed up.

Swivelling her chair away from her communication terminal Liara wheeled over to the main monitor bank and began punching keys.

'_What could have caused D'mel's extreme reaction? As far as I know I have never done business with that mercenary before but Asari lead long lives. Was it possible that she has had dealings with my predecessor?_'

A general databank search of KARLA DMEL brought up several files, one of which had been flagged but the time stamp was two hundred and forty years old. That predated even the broker she had defeated. How many individuals had filled the role of shadow broker in that time?

Liara opened the document with a click.

FROM: Agent Marvess

TO: Shadow broker

SUBJECT: Arrerius assassination

Greetings shadow broker,

I am pleased to report that Flavian Arrerius is dead and that no one is any the wiser as to our involvement. I'm managed to manipulate a young Asari by the name of Karla D'mel into doing my work for me. Some planted evidence was all it took. She is to be tried under Turian law in seven weeks time. Given Arrerius' occupation I would not be surprised if she was sentenced to hard labour on Maitrum.

As per your request I procured Arrerius' prints and retinal scans prior to his death.

Yours faithfully, Marvess.

With another few clicks Liara checked prison records on the Turian penal colony Maitrum and sure enough the name Karla D'mel was listed under the year 1946 of the human calendar. D'mel had been arrested for the murder of Flavian Arrerius, a Turian negotiator. She had been sentenced to twenty five years.

'_Small wonder she holds a grudge against the shadow broker.'_ Liara's thoughts returned to the message. The shadow broker of old had ordered a Turian dignitary assassinated. She was not sure if she still had that kind of power. Thanks to the Reaper war her network had been so severely damaged that it was possible that she was the least powerful shadow broker in history. The thought made her glum.

If she couldn't find someone discreet for the citadel expedition then she would have to face the fact that Shepard was…

A loud knock rang through the bulkhead as someone pounded on the other side. Liara jumped a foot in the air. Garrus' familiar flanged tones sounded muffled through the fifteen centimetre door.

"Liara are you in there? None of us have seen you for days. Aren't you hungry?"

She was, painfully so, she hadn't eaten since the Normandy had rejoined the rest of the Alliance fleet more than four days ago. But she could not face anyone, not at a time like this. She needed to work.

While the ship had been undergoing repairs on the uncharted planet she had snuck out at night to grab supplies but now they had been re-staffed with new crew from the SSV Nevis double shifts had been put into place. She would be seen. Liara had not spoken to any one in person since Dr Chakwas had let her leave the medbay.

Garrus spoke up again. There was a pleading note in his voice this time.

"Liara please. I know you're crushed, I know you're bereaved, but starving yourself to death won't bring Shepard back." The Turian's sharp words brought stinging tears to her eyes that overflowed and pored down her already damp cheeks, following the snail trails of the thousands that had come before during the last few months.

_I know!_ She wanted to shout. _But_ _at least then we'll be together again._ That wouldn't have been honest though. She didn't want to die. She wanted Shepard to live. It was this thought that drove her onwards, kept her going. Shepard had died once before and Cerberus had brought her back, if they could do it why not her? It was possible too: Liara had been in touch with various experts in the fields of biology, medicine and cybernetics and they had confirmed it. It was all theory to them, nothing even close to the Lazarus project but it was a start. She knew what was needed.

Garrus was about to give up hope and return to the gun battery when the door to Liara's cabin slid open.

She looked terrible. Her eyes where puffy and swollen with a tired, haunted look that Garrus had never seen there before. She was dressed in her armoured lab coat outfit that looked like she had been wearing it for weeks, which she probably had. As he watched fresh tears began to well in her crystal clear blue eyes so he pulled her into a fiercely tight hug. After thirty seconds of sniffling into his pauldron she disengaged.

"Thanks Garrus." She said weakly. Garrus tried to stop is mandibles fluttering in concern without success.

"Hey, hey it's okay, how about we find you something to eat? I'll be right here."

Under different circumstances Liara probably would have felt patronized but now she couldn't muster the energy to be angry. She let herself be led by the hand to a table in the mess hall and ate with her head bowed when Garrus brought her a tray. She did her best to ignore the stares of the human nightshift crew that where sharing the room with them. To tell the truth Shepard had been one of only two humans she had ever been fully comfortable with, the other being Kadian. But now all she saw was strange alien faces.

"So um…uh…" Garrus racked his brain for a topic of conversation but eventually settled on clearing his throat.

"It's fine Garrus. You don't have to baby me. I'm fine." The scarred Turian looked unconvinced.

"I can't lie to you Liara I didn't come to see you just to get you to eat something. Admiral Hacket is holding a state funeral for Shepard today aboard the _Destiny Ascension. _I thought you might want to be there." Suddenly she could muster the energy to be angry. She stood up so quickly that the blood rush made her dizzy.

"WE DON'T KNOW SHE'S DEAD!" the mutter of casual conversation died away abruptly and everyone turned to stare. Garrus did not look embarrassed. He spoke gently.

"Not for sure but we need to face facts. It's been three months with no word and the blast from the crucible damaged the relays which we all thought were indestructible. Shepard was at the epicentre of that blast. She's gone Liara and she isn't coming back. Not this time."

He looked at his food awkwardly after speaking as if he realised that he had said more than he intended. Liara's initial rage ebbed, Garrus was grieving too, this was just his way of showing it. When he looked up again his gaze was apologetic.

"Please come to the service. It would mean a lot to me, Tali and Kadian too."

"Okay."

**August 25****th****2186. The Destiny Ascension. Serpent nebula. 10:00 ST.**

Admiral Hacket was the first speaker. He stood on the podium looking every inch the weary, distinguished soldier that he was. Rumour had it that since the end of the war all that stress had finally caught up with the old man. He certainly didn't look like his old self.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the live of Elizabeth Shepard."

'_His voice is still strong at least_.' Thought Liara from here place in the second row.

"It is a testament to her both as a soldier and as a human being that so many, of all different species, have come to mourn with us today. I'll start by telling you the parts you already know. Elizabeth (or Ellie as she preferred to be called) was born on earth, Shanghai…"

Liara stopped listening almost immediately; during the times that she had bonded with Shepard she had experienced all of her memories and visa versa, Hacket couldn't tell her anything she didn't already know. Absentmindedly she tugged at her cuff as she thought. Just before the service she had gotten a nasty shock to realise that she had nothing to wear. She only had four outfits, two of which were armour, which left the black 'combat lab coat.'

Her gaze drifted to the screen behind Hacket, it was displaying a picture of Shepard, a graduation photo by the look of it. A pang of heart wrenching longing hit Liara like a physical blow. It was the first time see had seen an image of her since her disappearance. The way her auburn hair floated in the breeze, her dark green eyes twinkled, her face captured during one of her rare cocksure smiles, it was all too familiar. It made it all too real.

_I spent two years mourning you, so if we're going to try this I need to know you're always coming back._

Closing her eyes Liara tuned into the bond. She could feel it at the back of her skull like a second heart beat.

During the final battle in London she had offered Shepard a gift, something she had described to her years before on the original Normandy but hadn't thought herself ready for until that moment. The way she had explained it was as a bond that transcended time and space, and it did. Even though Shepard was thousands of light years away and possibly dead Liara could still feel her reassuring presence enveloping her like a warm blanket. Her confidence, her strength and her empathy all lived on in her. She would carry the ghost of her love on her back forever.

There was something else too. Something she wasn't sure she wanted to think about given everything else that was going on. Before the assault on Cerberus headquarters she and come to Shepard's cabin and they had shared one last night together. During their meld Liara's resolve had slipped. Despite Shepard's reassurances she was afraid. Afraid of dying, afraid of losing and most of all afraid of losing Shepard again. So she had lowered her mental barriers and allowed all of Shepard's memories, experiences and even her very DNA into herself, triggering the most basic of Asari instincts, randomising DNA and providing the catalyst to a new life.

Liara placed a hand on her belly. It would be a long time before she had anything to show for it but, one day, she would be a mother.

Admiral Hacket was just finishing his speech. "…Will never see her like again."

'_Not if I have anything to say about it.' _Thought Liara with grim determination.


	5. Recruiting

**The Desert's Tears**

Shrub Velik winced in pain as he tried to smile in gratitude but it hurt too much so he just nodded and accepted the proffered ice pack in silence.

"I tell you Kel she is completely out of control, she did this to me just for accepting a job and this was after spending months bitching about not being able to find work. What's her problem?"

Kelron'Baj, the _Desert's Tears_ Quarian first mate, grunted in such a way as to imply that Shrub was an idiot.

"You couldn't see the truth if it punched you in the face, which it just did, you only need the insight to see it. What did you say to her exactly?" Shrub's brow wrinkled as he struggled to remember through the haze of painkillers.

"Um… I said that the shadow broker wants to pay us to travel the human home world find out what happened to the citadel."

Kelron made that tutting noise that really got on Shrub's nerves.

"Well there's your problem. Karla hates the shadow broker didn't you know that? She has some kind of vendetta against them."

"How was I supposed to know? Karla never mentioned it." Kelron might actually have winked, it was hard to tell behind his visor.

"These are the kind of things that you really should learn if you want to avoid being punched in the face in the future."

Shrub had just formulated a witty comeback when the bulkhead to the engine room cycled open and Karla limped in with a huge grin plastered all over her face. She was clutching what looked like a deep stab wound with her right hand and a belt of knifes in the other.

Kelron was back in soldier mode instantly, already on his feet and running a diagnostic on his Omni-tool.

"Karla? What in the name of the ancestors happened to you?" Karla tossed the belt into Shrub's lap and plonked herself down on the engine block before replying.

"Here Shrub, a peace offering, take these knifes and lets bury the hatchet. Maybe you can stab me in the back with them further down the line. As for what happened I told the shadow broker exactly where he could shove his offer and killed two of his agents." Shrub could only blink in astonishment.

"Why?"

"That is a valid question." Said Kelron without looking up, Karla only shrugged.

"Why the fuck not? I roughed up that Elcor you mentioned and two thugs rushed me, this dumbass Turian wasn't much trouble but the other (an Asari) damn near finished me off." To illustrate her point Karla squeezed her wound until a trickle of violet blood seeped from the crack in her hardsuit, causing Kelron to physically wrestle her hand away so he could apply medi-gel and painkillers. He talked as he worked, stripping off the leg plate and underlying body glove to bind the wound.

"Shrub and I have been talking while you were out. He thinks you are out of control." Shrub blanched.

"Kelron! What the Hell?" Karla only looked around dopily. Obviously the painkillers had kicked in. all her only reply was a questioning 'Hm.' Taking this as encouragement, Kelron ploughed on.

"So I was thinking that if you don't mind we could hire on another member. Don't take this the wrong way but I think your attitude might be scaring away some potential customers. We need an emotional counterweight and neither me or Shrub fit the bill. What do you think?" Karla was taking so long to blink that Shrub thought she had fallen asleep but she eventually replied.

"S'fine. You're the first mate right? Do what you want."

'_The fight must have really tired her out.'_ Thought Kelron.

"Thanks boss. Why don't you go to bed and we'll talk more in the morning." Once Karla had shuffled off Shrub turned on his Quarian superior.

"How much medi-gel did you give her? You did that on purpose didn't you, doping her up so she'd agree to anything?"

"So what if I did, don't you want somebody else around to keep Karla's temper in check?"

Karla jerked awake. She immediately tried to sit up and the resulting blood rush made her fall out of her bunk. Lying there, all wrapped up in the bedclothes, she struggled to recall why her head was so fuzzy. She hadn't gotten drunk last night had she? She vaguely remembered the attractive Batarian bartender and tentatively lifted her head again to glance at her bunk but it was empty. Not a drunken one night stand then.

A dull ache in her right leg dredged the memories back up. Medi-gel overdose. Ripping off the blankets Karla saw that her right leg had been bandaged around the upper thigh, near the pelvis and that she was clad only in her underwear and an old white vest. '_Who undressed me?' _Managing to stand up without triggering a bout of dizziness, Karla slammed her fist on the door panel and limped through to the _Desert's Tears' _modest galley.

An extranet screen was being projected against the rear bulkhead and the small clock in the corner read 7:50SST. Despite that Shrub and Kelron were already up, huddled close to the screen, squinting at fine text that was too small for Karla to read.

"Mornin' fellas. What are you looking at?" Shrub turned to face her and she winced at the mottled bruising that covered most of the left side of the Salarian's head.

"Ouch. Listen Shrub… I'm really sorry. I wasn't myself last night; it's the shadow broker, any mention of that bastard gets my blood all riled and the thought of working for him…" Shrub's blank eyed stare was making her nervous; she started rubbing the back of her head crest. "I shouldn't have hit you and I should have told you about our history. I'm sorry." Shrub held her gaze for a few seconds then turned back to the screen.

"It's alright." Before Karla could let her breath go Kelron spoke up.

"Actually it isn't alright. You're wrong Karla you where yourself last night. I'm not casting any judgments but you need to find a better outlet for your aggression and courier work doesn't seem to be cutting it." _Blunt as ever huh Kel._ Karla shuffled her feet awkwardly. "You may be right. So what was that about a new recruit last night? You're not serious are you? You know how we do things." Kelron shrugged.

"It's your ship captain we won't take on anyone you don't want. That said I think you should at least take a look at some of the dossiers me and Shrub have picked out, you might be interested." Karla huffed and puffed but lacking anything better to do they spent the rest of the morning skimming through dozens of potential new crew members.

"That one." Said Karla without a shadow of doubt in her voice.

The profile currently on the screen was a muscular Batarian with serious facial scarring and only three eyes.

"Vito." Shrub retorted.

"Oh come on! What's wrong with him?"

"Karla, I don't know if your Batarian thing is a weird fetish or some kind of disturbing father complex but we aren't hiring people just because you think they are attractive."

Karla pouted and put on an aggrieved tone of voice. "He's not just attractive he's also qualified, look." She pointed at the 'prior experience' column.

"Former Special Intervention Unit, worked with the Blue Suns, survived a run in with Commander Shepard on Zorya…" Kelron pricked up his ears at this.

"Seriously? That's a selling point now is it?"

"I heard that Shepard was dead. Again. Maybe it's a brush with greatness kind of thing." Shrub chipped in.

"We're getting off topic here guys, I vote for him: Servrn Coreal."

"He'll go in the maybe pile." Kelron said.

After hours of debating they had narrowed the selection down to four resumes:

The Batarian SIU member, a Vorcha brawler, an Asari huntress and a human sniper.

"Not the Vorcha." Karla said it in such a way that meant no arguments but Shrub opened his mouth anyway. '_Always pushing_ _the envelope'_ thought Kelron.

"Why not?" Karla shot him a withering look. "Because, jackass, I say so."

Before Shrub could say something snide that would probably get his face broken again Kelron intervened.

"Because" He said, positioning himself between the Salarian and the Asari. "Not to sound racist or anything but I have yet to meet a Vorcha that wasn't antagonistic and that's the last thing we need. We have enough of that."

"True." Shrub cast a withering look of his own in Karla's direction.

Kelron's plan of getting everyone distracted was in danger of flushing itself down the toilet. In a desperate bid to stop the situation from deteriorating into more domestic violence he stabbed a finger at one of the merc resumes at random.

"I vote for them!" It was the sharpshooter: Human, female, formerly part of an anti terrorism unit in some country called 'Australia' on the human home world. Claire Perry. Shrub nodded but Karla only sighed.

"I guess she's as good as any, seeing as I'm out voted, but before we get ahead of ourselves what we are going to pay her with. Mercs don't work for free and last time I checked D'mel enterprises was close to bankruptcy, suggestions?"

"What's wrong with quarter of the loot we pick up on a job?"

"Loot is all well and good Shrub but it's inconsistent, mercs prefer a salary."

"Which we can't pay." He shot back at the Quarian.

Karla stood up suddenly; drawing quizzical looks form the other two.

"I've had enough of this. You where right earlier Kel: courier work isn't for me and I don't think it's for a former soldier like you either. We need to shake things up; if we hire a mercenary then doesn't that make us mercenaries?"

"No." Said Kelron flatly.

"Maybe we should become mercs then. Think about it; lots of action, an abundance of cash and enough respect to actually get somewhere in this shitty galaxy." There was a fire in Karla's eyes that made it clear to Kelron that the idea had such a firm grip on her that nothing he said would dissuade her.

"Fine, but lets at least conduct an interview first." Karla's face split into a massive beam and she pumped her fist in the air. "Alright! What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Kelron dialled the number on Claire Perry's dossier and set up a meeting for the four of them at a place called 'Jarg's assorted meat burgers' in the market district.


End file.
